THERE was no great surprise when the purchaser of the top lot at the 50th anniversary Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale was named in front of a packed arena. The son of Doctor Dino and the Laveron mare Matnie had all the credentials, and the auctioneer, Tattersalls Ireland CEO Simon Kerins, suggested that he was as rare as a Penny Black.

Bred and consigned by Sluggara Farm and Walter Connors, the gelding is the sixth offspring of his dam, and he has much to live up to. His five older siblings are Grade 1 winners Mighty Potter, Brighterdaysahead and Caldwell Potter, and the Grade 3 winners and Grade 1-placed duo of French Dynamite and Indiana Jones.

Emmet Mullins provided the strongest opposition to Eddie O’Leary and Gordon Elliott, causing an audible sigh when he jumped from O’Leary’s €275,000 bid to €300,000. Bids of €10,000 followed until Mullins hung up on his client, and O’Leary and Elliott won the day. At €350,000, he became the most expensive store horse sold this year, and the joint-second highest price horse ever sold at the Derby Sale.

Elliott has been responsible for three of the gelding’s siblings, Grade 1 Future Novice Hurdle winner Caldwell Potter, sold in February for €740,000, the ill-fated multiple Grade 1 hurdle and chase winner Mighty Potter, and the five-year-old mare Brighterdaysahead, successful in the Grade 1 Mersey Novices Hurdle in April. The trainer said: “He is a very athletic horse, and he is not too unlike Mighty Potter. He is for an existing client. We will be hoping we could bring him back for ‘the bumper’; that is the first plan.”

Connors said: “I am obviously delighted; he was always a star horse in our mind and we were not going to come if he did not match his pedigree as we point-to-point our own horses anyway. I am delighted and thrilled that Gordon is training him as he has done so well with the family, and Eddie has been very good to us over the years; he bought Don Cossack and Quito De La Roque.”

He paid tribute to his family and team. “Izzy and Harry, two of my children, are interested [in the business] and it has been a great family occasion for us. Shane and Rachel work in the yard with us and they have done a great job with him. They have managed to treat him just the same as any other horse.”

Marked change

The top lot was the only offering to realise €200,000 or more, a marked change from 12 months ago when five lots were at this level. There was a decline in the total number of six-figure lots over the two days, 25 on this occasion, down from 33 the previous June.

It should be remembered that many of this week’s lots were purchased as foals in one of the strongest markets of recent times. At periods on both days the clearance rate was below 60%, and so a final figure that was two points down on last year was a relief.

A dozen of the 25 lots to realise €100,000 or more over the two days were foaled in Ireland, with French-breds winning that count by a short head. Martin Doran, who sold the top lot at the first Derby Sale in 1975, expressed the concern of many breeders when he bemoaned the growing domination of imports at the top of the market.

Tellingly, only a third of the top dozen lots, those that sold for €120,000 or more, were bred in Ireland.

The sale aggregate, average and median all fell by between 11% and 13%, reflecting the new market realities. Special mention and kudos to the Irish point-to-point fraternity who continued to speculate. The Doyle family’s Monbeg Stables headed the buyer’s table, spending €1,264,000 on 28 lots. With Milestone Bloodstock and Ballycrystal Stables they combined to spend more than €2 million over the two days.

HAROLD Kirk and Willie Mullins spent €450,000 on four lots, while they added the name of M.V. Magnier to a fifth, who cost another €120,000.

Their most expensive purchase topped the first day’s trade at €175,000.

A bold bid of €100,000 from Tom Malone shocked the ring as Boedic, a French-bred three-year-old son of No Risk At All, came up for sale. However, Harold Kirk took him on until Malone gave way to the agent acting for Mullins.

“That was a bit of a shock!” said Kirk afterwards. “I had to get into gear.

“This horse is my number one for today, he is by one of my favourite sires and the dam was a very good cross-country mare, which we love as we have had some very good horses out of cross-country mares. He is a stunning individual, has fantastic movement, and he just ticked every box. He is not a big, heavy horse. He is very athletic and he should not take a load of time.”

The gelding was sold by Michael O’Brien’s Creighmore Stables in Co Cork. He added: “He was bought privately by Seamus Murphy as a foal in France. He is owned by myself and Walter Connors and he has always been a lovely sort. It is only my second year selling under my own banner. I was with Walter for three years and have now headed out myself.”

An hour later and Kirk signed for another, this time adding the name of Magnier to the buyers’ sheet. They were pushed to €120,000 for a Baroda Stud-consigned gelding by Crystal Ocean, the third foal out of the Yeats mare Carrowmore. She is a half-sister to the Grade 1 Top Novices Hurdle winner Pingshou, and the Grade 2 hurdle and chase winner Magic Of Light who was runner-up in the Grand National at Aintree.

On Thursday, the No Risk At All gelding Eliodam was bought by Kirk and Mullins for €125,000. From Kilbeg Stables, he is the first foal out of an unraced Saint Des Saints mare. This is a family that Mullins is familiar with, as immediately under the third dam is the three-time Grade 1 winner, and Grade 1 Gold Cup runner-up on two occasions, Djakadam.

“WE should have bought him last year when we saw him in France!” laughed Mags O’Toole after she spent €170,000 on Wednesday for Bouffon Has, a French-bred son of Doctor Dino, adding: “So we have had to give Norman [Williamson] the icing on the cake, but at least we have him now.”

Williamson’s Oak Tree Farm bought the gelding as a two-year-old for €95,000. The bay is a sibling to Botox Has whose seven hurdle wins included a trio of Grade 2 races, the National Spirit Hurdle, Rendlesham Hurdle and West Yorkshire Hurdle.

That €170,000 price tag was matched by Sunshineaway. He was sold by John Bleahen’s Lakefield Farm who took 10 lots to the sale, sold them all, and ended up as the leading consignor with total receipts of €651,000. A son of Galiway, Sunshineaway is a full-brother to a couple of winners, while their half-brother Styledargent won a listed race on the flat in France.

Bleahen had to miss out on a special day, as his son Luke was graduating from the Irish National Stud Thoroughbred Breeding Management Course on Wednesday afternoon. Luke’s mum Elaine was in attendance at the graduation where Luke was one of just seven students to graduate with a High Achievement Award.

Bidding turned into a battle between Olly Murphy and Ross Doyle, with the latter proving to be strongest. “He will go to Sam Curling for pre-training and then to Willie Mullins; he is for an established client,” Doyle said.

Ger Morrin was taking instructions by telephone on the ringside when he outpointed Gerry Hogan and trainer Paul Nolan on the balcony at €160,000 for a son of Goliath Du Berlais. This was another son of the stallion bought by Morrin in recent weeks. He spent €110,000 at Goffs for a gelding by the promising young stallion. The gelding will race for Sean and Bernadine Mulryan.

Morrin said: “Same ownership, going to Martin Brassil, and by the same sire. We loved the horse, Martin liked the horse, and Paddy Aspell liked the horse. He has a lovely pedigree. A brother-in-law of mine in France says the sire is very good, and well thought of. This fellow won’t take too long.

“Twenty years ago, I was buying some of the nicer horses in this sale for Cathal Ryan in Swordlestown Stud, and they went on to do well, but a horse like the one I bought today was making €250,000 and up to €300,000. Yet, expenses have been increasing, wages and feed have gone up. It is a tougher business for National hunt breeders, and they are great breeders. I feel for them.”

THE top price paid for an Irish-bred this week was the €185,000 given for a son of the dual Derby winner Harzand.

The Kilbarry Lodge Stud stallion had seven representatives sell for an average of €69,286, and his standout lot sold just before the much-anticipated sale topper entered the ring.

Mark Dwyer’s Oaks Farm Stables consigned the well-related gelding who is a half-brother to four winners.

Tom Malone and Paul Nicholls saw off Olly Murphy for the sibling to Grade 3 Topham Trophy winner Arizona Cardinal, Grade 2 hurdle second Destroytheevidence, and the Grade 2-placed hurdler Lily Pedlar. Their Malinas dam Mathine is a half-sister to the Grade 1 Gold Cup and two-time Grade 1 King George VI winner Long Run.

The gelding was bought by Church Farm for €80,000 in France last year as a two-year-old, and he had previously been purchased as a foal from Mill House Stud at the November National Hunt Sale for €50,000. Malone said: “He is a beautiful, beautiful horse; it is just a happening pedigree. I saw him last year in France as a two-year-old. I bought a very nice 25-length point-to-point winner by [Harzand] for Brocade Racing called Gentleman Toboot. I like the stallion, and until I am proven wrong, I am going to support him.”

Poet’s Word praise

Malone and Nicholls also took home the top-priced lot by Poet’s Word at €120,000, after which the agent was effusive in his praise for the young Boardsmill sire.

After standing in England for one season, William and John Flood bought Poet’s Word, and this is his first store crop. His 24 lots sold, two more than Walk In The Park, brought in total receipts of €957,000.

Purchased as a newly-turned yearling by Gerry Hogan from the Ennel Bloodstock consignment in February 2022, Galbertstown Stables’ son of Poet’s Word is a half-brother to JPR One, winner of the Grade 2 Lightning Novices Chase. “In the 15 years I have been doing this, Poet’s Word is the one stallion who has absolutely blown me away before he has had a runner [from his National Hunt crops],” said Malone.

“That spoke volumes for me. I never went out looking for a Poet’s Word, but my shortlist at the last sale had nine on it. It made me think that I have got to study this lad a bit more! He is throwing beautiful stock and they just have to run fast.”

Malone added: “He is typical of our type, a big chasing store. He will take a bit of time, but he is a beautiful animal and has seriously light action for his size. We [the agent and Nicholls] both fell in love with him and wanted to take him home. This horse made perfect sense to us. His late birth date [June] was something that put him on and off the list as he is a big boy, but his movement is so light, that switched us on and kept us on.”

A final big purchase for Malone and Nicholls was Perfect Ball. Kieran Sheilds sold the son of No Risk At All from Stone Lodge Stud for €130,000. The gelding is out of Grade 2 chase winner Princesse Kap who won nine times over hurdles and fences in France, and six were either graded or listed wins. The gelding was purchased as a two-year-old for €62,000.

A Jukebox Jury gelding from Brook Lodge Farm on Wednesday afternoon sold to bloodstock agent Kevin Ross for €120,000. He is a half-brother to the five-time hurdle winner Sunday Soldier, and this was another good sale result for Tom Howley and Caoimhe Doherty.

The gelding was pinhooked for €42,000 as a foal at the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Sale.

AN enhanced race programmes for fillies and mares, alongside valuable bonus schemes, have helped to boost demand for fillies at the store sales in recent years, while also creating a hunger for fillies who have won a point-to-point.

Recent speculation about changes to the mares’ programme at Cheltenham has caused anger in many quarters and was no help to vendors preparing to sell three-year-old fillies at this year’s Derby Sale.

Last year five fillies sold for six-figure sums, topped by a half-sister by Beaumec De Houelle to the Grade 3 winner Yala Enki who sold from Brown Island Stables to Bobby O’Ryan for €160,000, narrowly bettering the €150,000 price tag on Sluggara Farm’s Doctor Dino filly who was acquired by Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins.

No filly reached such dizzy heights this year, with a pair of fillies each commanding €95,000 and €90,000. Three of these sold on the first day of the sale. In the first hour of selling, Ballyreddin and Busherstown’s Miss Teene, a half-sister by Beaumec De Houelle to last year’s €150,000 sale filly, sold to Edward James for €95,000, followed some hours later for the same money by a daughter of No Risk At All from Lakefield Farm.

Ryan Mahon and Dan Skelton outlaid €90,000 for Oak Tree Farm’s Motivator filly, also on Wednesday, and it was not until the final hour of the sale on Thursday that the final member of the quartet of top fillies emerged, when Gerry Hogan’s winning bid of €90,000 secured a daughter of Walk In The Park and the five-time winner Sainte Ladylime who was runner-up in the Grade 2 Warfield Mares Hurdle at Ascot.

Top purchaser

The most expensive of Monbeg Stables’ 28 purchases was a four-year-old grey gelding by Tunis named Quartunis. Donnchadh Doyle gave €120,000 for the half-brother to five winning siblings include Qualando, winner of the Grade 3 Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle at Cheltenham, and the dual Grade 3 chase winner Cap Du Nord. “He’s a lovely-looking horse and I had a bit of luck with a Tunis this year, so it’s nice to replace him with another,” said Doyle. “I’m glad to get him and he cost a few pounds, but it’s nice to have him. He’s a big investment for our game, but I’ve been very lucky with Johnny Collins [the vendor, Brown Island Stables] before.”

THE 50th edition of the Derby Sale provided an opportunity for the sales company to celebrate the milestone. While the sale had its highlights, the nervous anticipation beforehand translated into a market that was softer than last year, and produced a set of metrics that showed declines throughout.

Tattersalls Ireland CEO Simon Kerins said: “While achieving a €350,000 top price is a notable success, it’s crucial to note that the market remains selective. With a clearance rate of 79% and average and median prices of €47,841 and €38,000, respectively, we observe a market that, while solid, reflects cautious buyer sentiment compared to previous years.”

He added: “We ensured our vendors received the interest that the exceptional quality of their stock deserved, and it was reassuring to see so many Irish and UK buyers in attendance. We had the biggest names in National Hunt racing looking to add to their strings this week, and that exemplifies the regard in which the Derby Sale is held.

“Our thanks go to all the team at Irish Thoroughbred Marketing who complement our work in promoting our sales and ensuring the results align with the quality on offer.”